Legal Troubles Arise for Sports Gambling Companies in Australia

Aussie Gaming

Aussie GamingSports betting in Australia is extremely popular. The growth of online gaming certainly has helped fuel this popularity. As is the case with various other industries, there is no guarantee controversies do not occur. Recently, Australian sports betting companies are in a bit of trouble due to illegal gambling.

News reports indicate that four prosecutions are being initiated in New South Wales. The Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing (OLGR) has initiated the prosecutions and they legal arrows are aimed at the Betchoice Corporation, Tabcorp Holdings, Hillside Pty Limited, and CrownBet. Again, all of these entities are being accused of trying to manipulate people who view their advertisements. Advertisements related to sports betting are heavily regulated in Australia and laws on the books have restrictions in place regarding “inducements”.

Yes, casinos and sportsbooks do have to get their message out. They have to draw the attention of would-be customers. When inducements cross a certain legal line, violations of the law may occur. An example of an inducement that goes over the line would be making it sound that it is too easy to win and the amount of money available to winners is exaggerated. Whether or not the advertisements in question crossed the line is, really, a legal matter. The prosecutions have to play out in court.

Recently, Ladbrokes was accused of overdoing things with inducements.As a result, Ladbrokes was brought into court and prosecuted. Ladbrokes came out on the losing end of the court proceedings. This lead to the company having to pay a fine and also cover the costs of legal expenses. The working idea behind these types of proceedings is to deter such behavior in the future. Not only is the intent to keep those brought into court from committing the act again (they likely will not having lost once), but also to keep others in the industry from taking part in similar actions or activities. Worries over being involved in a court case likely is going to make more opt to being very careful with advertising strategies.

There are several reasons why Australia has such laws regarding gambling and advertising. In the past, challenges have been brought forth due to concerns over the potentially addictive nature of wagering habits. A worry exists that people who are prone to habit-forming gambling might be attracted to wagering due to improper and hyperbole-laden advertisements. Whether or not these concerns are based in legitimate facts is open to debate.What is not debatable is legal problems are looming for several Australian sports betting companies. How things play out remain to be seen.